Improvement in grain-separators



Grain Wnnower.

Patenvted Nov. 5, 1861.

N. PETERS. Pham-ummm". wamiman. D. CA

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

ALEXANDER H. DIXSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,636, dated November5, 186i.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known tha-tl, ALEXANDER H. DIXsoN, of the city and county of SanFrancisco, in the State of California, have invented a new and ImprovedGrain Cleaning and Separating Machine; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of myinvention,"taken in the line :c x, Fig. 2 and Fig. 2, a transversevertical section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twoiigures.

This invention relates to a new and improved machinedesignedforseparatingwheat from oats and barley, as well as from straw and otherforeign substances.

The object of the invention is to obtain a machine which may be adjustedto suit the condition or quality of the grain, and to have the blast actin a more efficient manner than hitherto on the former.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a frame, which may be constructed in any suitable way, tosupport the working parts of the machine, and B :is a rotary fan whichis placed at the upper part of the framing at one end. The fan B may beconstructed in the usual way, and it is inclosed by a fan-box C, theorifice aot' which is in line with a rectangular box D, which issuspended in the frame A by rods b, two rods being at each side ot thebox, said rods being attached to the frame and box by pivots, so as toadmit of the box having a swinging or oscillating movement.

E represents the driving-shaft of the machine, said shaft being at thelower part of the frame A, and having two eccentrics c c, from whicheccentrics the box D is operated by connecting-rods F. The fan B isdriven from the shaft E by a belt d.

Vithin the boxD there are placed a series of screens e, which areinclined and are parallel one with another, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.Directly underneath each screen e there is placed an inclined board orchute f.

These boards or chutesf are inclined in areverse direction to thescreens e, and each chtite conducts the substance which passes throughthe screens immediately above it to the head of the screen immediatelybelow it. The lower and outer end of each screen e is connected to theouter end of the chute f im mediately below it by means of a leatherstrip g, or any yielding fabric. rlhese strips g close the spaces aXbetween the screens e and the chutes f at their outer ends, the spacesax, at the inner ends of the screens andchutes, being open to receivethe blast from the fan-box C. The spaces b between the inner ends of thechutes f and screens e below the chutes are protected from the blast bymeans of upright bars or shields h. (Shown clearly in Fig. l.)

Each screen e is secured near its back end within the box D by means ofpivots t', and the outer ends of the screens are secured in properposition by means of set-screws'7',which pass through slots 7c in thesides of the box D. By this arrangement it will be seen that the screensmay be adjusted in a greater or less inclined position, as desired, thestrips g admitting of such result and at the same time keeping the outerends of the spaces ctx closed at all points of adjustment of thescreens.

Just below each screen e at its outer part there is placed a slide G.These slides may be of sheet metal, and by adjusting them in and out thescreens care virtually lengthened or shortened.

On the top of the box D there is placed a coarse inclined screen 7c.This screen admits all the grain and small substances through it, whilethe coarse substances are discharged at the side of the machine. Thegrain, it will be seen, as the machine is in operation passes throughthe several screens e, each screen separating and discharging from itslower inclined enda portion of the foreign substances, the good grainbeing discharged from the lower chute f, as shown at Z, Fig. 1. Theblast from the fanbox C is directed directly into the spaces ctx, and isrendered very effective, as none of it is lost, all being made to passthrough the screens e and eject light dust and impurities from thegrain.

The box D is vibrated with an easy movement well calculated to aid thescreens in effecting a separation of oats aud barley from the wheat. Theadjusting of the screens e to vary their inclination, as Well as theemployment of the slides Gto vary the length of the screens, areimportant, for by these means the machine may be adjusted to suit thecondition,and quality of the grain, very poor and dirty grain requiring`a slower and more efcient screening than grain which is iu goodcondition.

Having thus described rnyinvention, Whatl claim as new, and desire toSecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The employment or use of a series of adforth.

' A. II. DIXSON;

Witnesses:

GEO. C. MOORE, ROLAND GELSTON.

